Ethan Puts Uma to Work

In the new film Tape (opening tomorrow), Ethan Hawke stars as a man who's still hung up on his high-school sweetheart, played by real-life wife Uma Thurman. Off screen, Hawke seems rather hung up on the idea of collaborating with his bride, as he cast Thurman in his upcoming directorial debut, Chelsea Walls.

"It worked out pretty good actually," winks the 30-year-old auteur, who currently appears opposite Denzel Washington in the hit cop drama Training Day. Hawke adds, however, that it wasn't all smooth sailing for the happy couple  who have a three-year-old daughter, Maya Ray. "To work with somebody you're in a relationship with is always a little extra challenging, because if the day doesn't go well it follows you home.

"It works best if neither one is doing it for the other one," he continues, "or that both people love the material... and Uma was really passionate about [her role in Tape]."

Hawke and Thurman are equally as passionate about their next joint venture  the birth of their second child in January. "The first time is so frightening... you just have no idea what to expect," confesses the proud papa. "This time, I'm actually much more [calm]." Of course, a little knowledge also has its drawbacks, he concedes. "The bad thing about knowing what to expect is you know just how much work its going to be. It's just really way too much."